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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · arm · foot · scale · bulb · pound · fine · clip

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. clip — to cut
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — size or range
  14. clip — a video
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — all right
  17. pass — a permit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com